Report.2019

Unasylva special issue on Forests: nature-based solutions for water

A transformation is needed from conventional forest management approaches to nature-based solutions that make water-related ecosystems services the primary objective. This special issue of FAO publication explains why. SIWI contributes with an article on the gaps between science, policy and practice.

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Water – clean drinking water – is likely to be one of the most limiting resources in the future, given the growing global population, the high water demand of agricultural production systems and urban centers and the confounding effects of climate change. We need to manage water wisely, if we are to avoid the calamity of a lack of usable water.

As resources become more constrained and water demand grows ever greater, water management will inevitably come even more to the fore in forest-related decision making. Recognizing the importance of the forest-water nexus is the first step in building it into institutional processes and finding forest-based solutions for water.